Gators keep rolling at No 1 in ESPNcom USA Softball Collegiate Top 25

OKLAHOMA
CITY — Four weeks of NCAA Division I softball have yet to produce a shake up at
the top of the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll. The Amateur
Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today that the
Florida Gators (21-0), with 19 first place votes, are No. 1 for the fourth-consecutive
time in the 2014 season.

The
Gators, who have held the top spot in the poll since week one, traveled to
Orlando, Fla. this week to compete in the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic where they
went 5-0 and outscored opponents 43-4. Florida defeated then-No. 6 Oregon 2-1
in an eight-inning shootout on Friday and Fordham 9-0 and Ohio State 9-1 (6) on
Saturday. They wrapped up their perfect weekend by topping Maryland 16-0 (5)
and Radford 7-0 on Sunday. This weekend the Gators return to Gainesville for a
match-up with Boston College on Tuesday and a three-game series with Ole Miss
over the weekend.

Holding
on at No. 2 for the second-consecutive week and third time since the start of
the season is Tennessee (15-1). Following a midweek, 8-4 win at Cal State
Fullerton the Lady Vols competed in the San Diego Classic over the weekend
where they went 1-1 before being rained out of their final three games. The SEC
squad suffered its first loss of the season when BYU took a 6-3 decision on
Thursday. Tennessee bounced back to beat San Diego State 3-1 later in the
day. The Lady Vols will return to Knoxville for their first home games of the
season when they host a doubleheader with Wright State on Wednesday and the
Tennessee Tournament March 7-9.

One
week after cracking the top five, the UCLA Bruins (16-0) jumped two spots to
No. 3 this week despite having all four of their games at the Long Beach
Louisville Slugger Invitational rained out last week. The Bruins play
host to No. 4 Michigan on Tuesday and Wednesday this week before competing in
six games in the UCLA/C Sun Invitational this weekend.

Michigan
(13-2) managed to get one of five games in over the weekend, a 7-1, six inning
run rule over Utah Valley, to hold on to the No. 4 position in the poll.
Following their mid-week contests with No. 3 UCLA, the Wolverines will travel
to Fullerton, Calif. next Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the Judi Garman
Classic.

The
No. 5 Oregon Ducks (18-2) join the Top five for the first time since Week 14 of
last season. The defending Pac-12 Champs went 4-1 on the week behind the
pitching of ace Cheridan Hawkins (Anderson, Calif.) who was 3-1 in the circle
and allowed just one run while striking out 49 batters in 23 innings pitched.
The Ducks head to Honolulu, Hawaii this week for the Rainbow Wahine Classic.

Rounding
out the Top 10: No. 6 Washington (16-2) climbed one spot after going 3-0 at the
Libby Matson Tournament over the weekend; No. 7 Arizona State (19-3) fell four
positions following a 2-3 weekend that included losses to South Carolina, 3-2,
then-No. 20 Minnesota, 3-2 and Ball State, 3-0; the Arizona Wildcats (18-1)
continued their climb up the poll moving up one spot after a 5-0 week that
included four, five-inning run rules; No. 9 Florida State rejoined the Top 10
this week following a one-week hiatus; and No. 10 Kentucky fell two spots
despite going 3-0 on the week.

New to
the poll, No. 25 USC Upstate (19-0) enters the Top 25 for the first time after
receiving votes in each of the previous polls this season. Following two losses
on the week, Arkansas (15-5) dropped out of this week’s poll.

The
ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll is voted on by coaching
representatives from 10 Division I Conferences in the 15 ASA/USA Softball
Regions as well as members of National and Local media who consistently cover
Division I Softball across the country.